360 Notices of Communications to the Society, of which 



in pans of water, except they become so dry as not to ab- 

 sorb the water given in the usual way. 



July 21st, 1818. Edward Barnard, Esq. brought from 

 his Garden at Vale Mascal, in Kent, specimens of Piccatee 

 Carnations raised by himself from German seed. In bril- 

 liancy of colour as well as size of flower, these were very su- 

 perior ; one flower in particular measured eleven inches in 

 circumference. The flowers were chiefly yellow, varied with 

 different shades of crimson, scarlet, purple, slate colour, and 

 black. Mr. Barnard makes the following observations on 

 the treatment of these foreign Piccatees. " The seeds should 

 be sown in the middle or latter end of May. When the 

 plants are rather more than two inches high, they should be 

 planted out in rows, at the di r ance of nine inches ; they 

 must be sheltered from excess of rain and severe frosts, dur- 

 ing the winter, and they will blow in the course of the fol- 

 lowing summer. Plants thus raised from foreign seed gener- 

 ally grow luxuriantly until after they have bloomed, but the 

 layers of the choice sorts, when propagated, are much more 

 tender and difficult to preserve than the common English 

 varieties, as they suffer in a much greater degree from the 

 effect of damp during the winter. All the layers of some 

 varieties die in the course of the succeeding spring, while the 

 others are only kept alive by great attention, without the pos- 

 sibility of increasing them to any extent. Whenever the 

 strength of any of the plants will admit of it, it is desirable to 

 take off some shoots for pipings ; as they frequently endure 

 the winter better than plants raised by laying, although they 

 will not produce so great an increase in the following season. 



